Daunte Culpepper to Sacramento

[RealityCheck]

Sources: Daunte Culpepper on verge of UFL contract (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5198243)

By Adam Schefter
ESPN
Archive

Quarterback Daunte Culpepper is on the verge of going from the NFL's Detroit Lions to the UFL's Sacramento Mountain Lions.

Culpepper and the Mountain Lions are putting the finishing touches on a deal that will make him one of the league's marquee names, according to sources familiar with the talks.

Culpepper will be one of the first big-name players to jump from the NFL to the UFL this offseason, according to sources.

Signing with Sacramento will reunite Culpepper with Dennis Green, the Mountain Lions' coach and general manager. The two men worked together in Minnesota and enjoyed some of their greatest professional successes together.

Culpepper's first full season as a starter in the NFL came under Green in 2000, when the quarterback threw for a league-leading 33 touchdowns and rushed for seven more.

Neither Culpepper nor Green returned telephone calls or texts seeking comment.

But the deal is so close to getting done that sources said UFL commissioner Michael Huyghue is in Sacramento on Tuesday for a trip related to the Culpepper deal.

In fact, Mountain Lions assistant coaches told players trying out for the team that Culpepper will be the starting quarterback for Sacramento this season.

Culpepper spent last season with Detroit but struggled to find work this offseason. He even showed up at the NFL owners' meetings in Orlando to see if he could find a job.

Adam Schefter is ESPN's NFL Insider.

That's huge.

Just pointing out, it's absurd how many people are flaming the UFL in the ESPN.com comments.

[WinslowBodden]

How is it huge? Culpepper is a washed up scrub.

[RealityCheck]

How is it huge? Culpepper is a washed up scrub.
He's worse than that, but the UFL upgrades from a bunch of nobodies to a massive discussion subject.

[BlindSite]

As washed up as he might be he's being put with the coach who helped him to some of the most prolific seasons in recent history.

He'll make nice money and tear apart teams that aren't even scout team defense worthy. It's a nice deal for everyone involved.

Hell if I was a player had my finance in order for the future it wouldn't be a bad option if no one wanted me as a starter anymore.

It's not like he's going to get a ring as a backup for the lions either.

[cvv84]

He's worse than that, but I'm trying to upgrade this from a bunch of nobodies to a massive discussion subject.

Fixed.....

[Splat]

Washed up or not he is still a "name" player it's good for the league, I still think they won't last three years but moves like this can't hurt.

[Joecool]

what is the ufl?

[RaiderNation]

Good **** Sacramento

[LonghornsLegend]

Amazing how much things would have changed had Miami taken Brees instead.

[Da-Phins]

Amazing how much things would have changed had Miami taken Brees instead.

I hate you. :(

[trkaline]

I wanted to catch some UFL games last season...but before I got around to it, it was over...

[Splat]

I wanted to catch some UFL games last season...but before I got around to it, it was over...

I watched a few you didn't miss much.

[Jimmy]

I hate you. :(

there's always the other side of that. b-marsh and company wouldnt be on the team, and brees would have had no receivers. possibly could have just been the same player as he was in san diego.

[Da-Phins]

there's always the other side of that. b-marsh and company wouldnt be on the team, and brees would have had no receivers. possibly could have just been the same player as he was in san diego.

He would've had Chambers, Welker, McMichael and Brown as weapons. So dont see how he wouldnt have any.

[J255979-11nine]

there's always the other side of that. b-marsh and company wouldnt be on the team, and brees would have had no receivers. possibly could have just been the same player as he was in san diego.

You mean a good QB?

[Splat]

there's always the other side of that. b-marsh and company wouldnt be on the team, and brees would have had no receivers. possibly could have just been the same player as he was in san diego.

That's a bad thing?

[Scotty D]

Daunte Culpepper is a ******* moron. He was out of the league before we signed him off the street and started him the same week. I was so pissed because I was going to the game that week for my birthday. Drew Stanton threw his first ever TD in that game though. Plus he pouted like a baby this year when he found out that Stafford would be starting the Thanksgiving game over him. Good riddance you terrible whiny baby.

[Monomach]

He's going to destroy that league. I'll be surprised if he doesn't average 3-4 TDs a game.

[frubulubu]

Culpepper was the luckiest SOB in Minnesota! He had Carter, Moss and Reed to throw at, and Robert Smith was his RB. Any QB would be succesful with those weapons.

[Paranoidmoonduck]

Culpepper was the luckiest SOB in Minnesota! He had Carter, Moss and Reed to throw at, and Robert Smith was his RB. Any QB would be succesful with those weapons.

And yet he put up his best season (one of the best seasons by a quarterback ever, statistically) with Onterio Smith at runningback, Jermaine Wiggins as his leading pass catcher, and Randy Moss missing significant time.

[YAYareaRB]

Man I don't understand why people don't want this league to succeed.

[J255979-11nine]

Man I don't understand why people don't want this league to succeed.

I assume they'd see it as a threat to take away talented players from NFL rosters...

[bhaarat316]

I assume they'd see it as a threat to take away talented players from NFL rosters...

hhaaahahahah those dummies

[tEk]

maybe the nfl will actually have to compete with another business in the same venue. you know that thing we have laws against here... uhhh o yea monopolies.

[YAYareaRB]

But one of the league's main intentions was to place teams in markets that the NFL has no presence in.

The advisory board for the NFLPA actually suggests to newly cut players to go tryout in the UFL

[MichaelJordanEberle (sabf)]

I think the thing is though, that unless it's baseball, Americans don't care much for minor league sports(other than major college sports, obviously). And the UFL is definitely a minor league. I really question whether or not it can catch on as more of a novelty after a couple of seasons. If it's just "oh hey, there's a new football team in town, let's check it out" and then they never go back, the league will fail.

[Splat]

Man I don't understand why people don't want this league to succeed.

It's not that I don't want it to succeed I just don't think it will.

[YAYareaRB]

IMO, for this league to succeed, they need to acknowledge and embrace the fact that they are a minor league. Work WITH the NFL as a proving ground for players not ready for it. Kinda like a NFL Europe but in America.

It's so hard to make it in this game, something like the UFL would definitely ease the difficulty.

[Splat]

IMO, for this league to succeed, they need to acknowledge and embrace the fact that they are a minor league. Work WITH the NFL as a proving ground for players not ready for it. Kinda like a NFL Europe but in America.

I'm pretty sure that as been their plan from the start but they need the NFL to want to embrace it easier said then done.

[MichaelJordanEberle (sabf)]

IMO, for this league to succeed, they need to acknowledge and embrace the fact that they are a minor league. Work WITH the NFL as a proving ground for players not ready for it. Kinda like a NFL Europe but in America.

It's so hard to make it in this game, something like the UFL would definitely ease the difficulty.

Yeah and their season is at a different time than the NFL, right? So that's working for them, I guess. But I think the most important thing is to have some owners that just love football and are so rich they don't mind losing money. Because I don't think the UFL is gonna turn a profit any time soon.

[mqtirishfan]

maybe the nfl will actually have to compete with another business in the same venue. you know that thing we have laws against here... uhhh o yea monopolies.

And amazingly there is no law saying another league cannot attempt to compete with the NFL. It's the people that have dictated the NFL's monopoly over professional football.

[vikes_28]

the XFL was kind of cool.

[Splat]

the XFL was kind of cool.

I know most will disagree but had it not been started by Vince Mcmahon it might have took off some.

It never would have touched the NFL but I think it could have had staying power for atleast a few years.

[BeerBaron]

maybe the nfl will actually have to compete with another business in the same venue. you know that thing we have laws against here... uhhh o yea monopolies.

The NFL, and the other major sports leagues to my knowledge, have anti-trust exemptions or whatever they're called.....since the teams within compete against eachother, the league is allowed to be a monopoly.

And I think the UFL could be a good thing. I've long hoped to see a true minor league system for the NFL. More players come out of college each year than each team, even with all of their resources, can accurately scout and provide opportunities for.

Having even a 4-6 team league where youngsters and flame-outs can show off what they have wouldn't be a bad thing.

When it would become bad though is if it ever does grow enough to start stealing more than just the bottom of the roster type NFL players.....The NFL doesn't need competition from another football league imo.

[RealityCheck]

I know most will disagree but had it not been started by Vince Mcmahon it might have took off some.

It never would have touched the NFL but I think it could have had staying power for atleast a few years.
Indeed. Vince could not run a football league. He'd eventually start throwing wrestling elements into it, and yeah, that did happen.

[RealityCheck]

http://www.ufl-football.com/news/quarterback-daunte-culpepper-signs-sacramento-mountain-lions

Now it's official. Let the bashing start.

[CJSchneider]

I can't wait to see the new Mountain Lions logo.

[Splat]

I think he is going to own.

[dj825]

i would like to see this league succeed to the extent the AFL has but i dont see them getting much bigger than that for the foreseeable future. i like this move by Sacramento because it does gain instant visibility for the team and the league because Culpepper was an amazing QB in the NFL 6 or 7 years ago, now if Culpepper fails epicly (which i dont think hell do) than the league will prolly follow suit within the next 2 or 3 years if that but if he succeeds it could mean that some former NFL wash ups or players that noone wants to sign in the NFL (like maybe Adam "dont call me Pacman" Jones who id be shocked to see play all year for the Bengals) will go to the UFL as well to try and repeat what Culpepper did.

[RealityCheck]

http://www.uflaccess.com/wp-content/gallery/ufl/saclogo.png

Sexy.

[dj825]

kinda makes you wonder what would have happened if he would have never been on the cover of Madden 02...

[RaiderNation]

Im probably going to one of these games since Im only 30 mins away from Sac.

[yo123]

Culpepper was the luckiest SOB in Minnesota! He had Carter, Moss and Reed to throw at, and Robert Smith was his RB. Any QB would be succesful with those weapons.



Moss was out during his best year and Carter only played here for two of Daunte's years here. Culpepper was just a beast. I still don't understand what happened to him. Take a look at his 2004 numbers. It's a shame Manning had his record breaking season and overshadowed him because Culpepper put up one of the better QB seasons of the last decade.

[TitleTown088]

One step closer to me never having to see his "roll" again. Sweet.

[YAYareaRB]

If he fails, they sure got a chance at landing Jeremiah Masoli

[Splat]

Ahman Green is headed to the UFL (http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/06/09/ahman-green-is-headed-to-the-ufl/)

[dj825]

Ahman Green is headed to the UFL (http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/06/09/ahman-green-is-headed-to-the-ufl/)


thats big too because its another name player, whos gonna be next?